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GPs admit negligence in failure to diagnose Romford woman's diabetes |
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28 August 2007 |
Two GPs have admitted negligence in failing to spot a Romford woman's diabetes before it became life threatening.
Colleen Westlake (39) of Chadwell Heath was rushed into the King George hospital in Romford in March 2006 with abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Two GPs have admitted negligence in failing to spot a Romford woman's diabetes before it became life threatening.
Colleen Westlake (39) of Chadwell Heath was rushed into the King George hospital in Romford in March 2006 with abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. She was almost unconscious.
Tests showed Mrs Westlake was suffering from severe ketoacidosis, very high blood sugar levels due to a lack of insulin which produce acids and were effectively poisoning her. The condition was the result of untreated diabetes.
She was in a life-threatening condition and was immediately administered with insulin. She recovered and six days later was allowed home, with a diagnosis of type II diabetes.
It later transpired that two GPs had failed to diagnose her diabetes, in spite of the result of tests which strongly indicated it. In August 2000 Mrs Westlake had been seen by Dr Mohamed Ali, and tests he took showed positive for glucose. However, he did not inform her of those results and took no further action.
Mrs Westlake then consulted Dr Hamilton Smith in October 2001. Medical notes suggest that he considered the possibility of diabetes, but failed to act on it. Nor did he consider the results of the tests arranged by Dr Ali.
In August 2005 when Mrs Westlake continued to have problems, Dr Hamilton Smith took urine samples which clearly indicated diabetes. Mrs Westlake was never informed of the test results and no further investigations were undertaken.
In admitting negligence, the two doctors and their insurers agreed a settlement of |
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